Volkswagen Enlarges the Amarok

Germany's work-a-day pickup now available in three cab styles and three box lengths.

Full-size pickup trucks have traditionally been the purview of American automakers, with Japanese rivals muscling in on their territory in recent years. But the Germans have traditionally left that market alone – except for Volkswagen. VW Commercial Vehicles offers the Amarok, but while that model has until now been a much smaller affair than what we’d be used to on this side of the Atlantic, Volkswagen is now offering it in larger form.

With a double cab and extended cargo bed, the stretched Amarok is nearly three feet longer than the existing model. VW is offering the extra-large Amarok with a choice of 2.0-liter turbodiesel engines with either 140 horsepower or 180, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and available 4Motion all-wheel drive. The addition to the range brings the Amarok family up to three wheelbases and three cab configurations for European buyers in search of the utility Americans have been enjoying for decades.